Method of and apparatus for extracting juice from whole citrus fruit



Aug. 25, 1953 J. M. HAIT METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT lllSheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 1 ENTOR g 1953 J. M. HAlT 2,649,730

- METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT Filed Feb. 16, 1949 ll Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 25, 1953 J. M. HAIT METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT Filed Feb. 16, 1949 11 Sheets-Shet 3 Aug. 25, 1953 J. M. HAlT METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT ll Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 Fla. 4.

JMbI/T INVENTOR J. M. HAIT METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING Aug. 25, 1953 JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 J M #4 7 INVENTOR.

FIG. .7

4rroke/vzy J. M. HAIT METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT Aug. 25, 1 953 11 She ts-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 lllllllll FIG 6 Aug. 2 5, 1953 Filed Feb. 16; 1949 J. 'M. HAIT METHOD OF AND- APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT 11 Sheets-Sheet 7 J. M. HAlT 2,649,730 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR- EXTRACTING JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT ll Sheets-Sheet 8 Aug. 25, 1953 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 HVVENTUR -AA w RRRV, mwwrr. l a 8 FIG. 14 A J. hd.ii/\FT 1 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING Aug. 25, 1953 JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 r in HVVENTUR.

Aug. 25, 1953 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 J. M. HAIT METHOD OF AND APPARATUS. FOR EXTRACTING JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT 11 Sheets-Shegt 10 I .7 F 6 j 75 72 -86 9 i I 97 In .99 I 37 A \J /I 57 c J7" 252 450 INVENTOR.

J. M. HAIT METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING Aug. 25, 1953 JUICE FROM WHOLE CITRUS FRUIT l1 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 FIG 20.

1M fil/T NVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 25, 1953 METHOD or AND APPARATUS FOR, EX: TRACTING uror: FROM wn-o CITRUS FRUIT James M. Hait, San Jose, Galifi, assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware v Application February 16, 1949, Serial N 0. 76,748

17 Claims. I

This invention relates to the art of extracting juice from whole citrus fruit. It constitutes improvements on the methods and apparatus disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent to Peterson No. 2,420,681 and to Pipkin No. 2.420,.6'79, both issued on May 20, 1947.

Said patented inventions were directed to the extraction of juice from whole citrus fruit and represented generic advances in this art. Their basic operating principle was to form an opening ina whole citrus fruit and apply compressive forces to the exterior of the fruit to progressively reduce its volume and expel the juice from said opening While distributing said forces to bear on substantially the entire area of the rind whereby they also served to provide suflicient support to the rind to prevent the juice from bursting therethrough.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process of and apparatus for extracting juice from whole citrus fruit which utilizes the basic operating principle disclosed in said Pipkin and Peterson patents.

In utilizing said principle, each of said patented inventions employed a pair of cups between which a whole citrus fruit was compressed to extract the juice therefrom after which the two cups were separated and the carcass or collapsed rind of the fruit was removed from between the cups before they could be used for another fruit dejuicing operation. The necessity for removing the fruit carcass from between the cups in the patented inventions required, a considerable proportion of the cost of building the apparatus and operating the same, to be devoted to the carcass ejecting function. Furthermore, operational difficulties with said ejectors appeared to be unavoidable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process of'and apparatus for extracting juice from whole citrus fruit utilizing the basic principle of said patented inventions but which eliminates the fruit carcass ejecting operation which formerly took place between sue-.- cessive juice extracting operations.

Following the operation of the aforesaid patented inventions'i-n extracting juice from whole citrus fruit it was practically necessary to run the juice through a separate finishing step to eliminate objectionable solids from the juice before this was ready for consumption.

It'is yet another object of the present invention to accomplishthe separation of these solids from the juice extracted from whole citrus fruit incidental tothe extraction operation thus elimie hating the need for a separate juice finishing step and causing the juice to be immediately ready for consumption upon its leaving the extractor.

The manner of accomplishing the aforegoing objects, as well as further objects and advantages, will be made manifest in the following descrip tion taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of Fig. 1 and partly in section taken on the line 2-1-2 thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic operational view 11- lustrating the various elements. of the apparatus disposed as at the beginning of acycle of opera.- tion of a representative one of the three juice extracting units in said embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrates the elements of the apparatus as they are disposed at a subsequent point in said cycle of operationin which the cups of said unit have just come into compressive conformation with a Whole citrus fruit disposed therebetween causing a but- .ton to be out from the rind of the fruit by the cutter of this unit, and in which the finishing plunger of said unit has been withdrawn downwardly to its lowermost position.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 with the elements of the apparatus disposed at a further advanced point of time in a juice extracting op.- eration in which the cups of said unit have shifted together to substantially contract the space occupied by the fruit therebetween (the fruit between the cups not being shown in this View or in Figs. '7, '8 and 9 because of the small scale of these views), this producing a constriction of the fruit and the expression of juice there? from through the hole formed in the rind at the point of time illustrated in Fig. 5. Owing to the finishing plunger still being depressed, the juice thus expressed from the fruit and which passes into the perforated finishing tube of that, unit has access to the holes in the latter through which the juice flows.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 and illustrates the parts of the invention at a still further advanced point in said cycle of operation in which the space between the cups of said unit is further decreased and the finisher plunger thereof has risen to cover all but the uppermost of the perforations in the finisher tube of said unit.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 and illustrates 3 the parts of the invention at the moment when the cups have been brought to the point of their maximum interdigitation and showing the tubular cutter of the lower cup extending into the annular channel formed to receive the same in the upper cup.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 and illustrates a subsequent point in the operation cycle in which the upper cup of said unit is being lifted and the finishing plunger thereof is shown as having been extended upwardly out of the button cutter and into the annular channel aforesaid of the upper cup.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional operational view of the compressor cups and finisher mechanism of said unit of the invention with the parts thereof positioned as'shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line lll l of Fig. 10 and illustrates the rind ring cutting barbs of the invention.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of a central insert provided in each of the upper cup of the invention in which the aforesaid annular channel is provided and on which are also provided rind penetrating spurs the function of which is to prevent the buckling of the rind within the area bounded by these spurs.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 10 and illustrates the elements shown therein positioned as these are shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13 and shows the elements illustrated therein positioned as these are shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 and shows the elements illustrated therein positioned as shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 16 is a View similar to Fig. 15 and shows the parts illustrated therein positioned as these are shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a lower portion of the apparatus of the invention with the finisher plungers of the invention released and allowed to slide downwardly out of the perforated finisher tubes in which they normally slide during juice extracting operations.

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 17 and illustrates the parts of the invention positioned as when the juice manifold is also released and allowed to slide downwardly on the finisher plungers to facilitate cleaning the machine.

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary diagrammatic sectional view of a portion of the apparatus of the invention taken on the line l9l9 of Fig. 3 and illustrating a safety switch embodied therein for preventing the starting of the motor whenever the juice manifold is not properly assembled for receiving the juice extracted by the machine.

Fig. 20 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view taken on the line 2i3-20 of Fig. 2 with the parts of the invention disposed as at the point in an operating cycle illustrated in Fig. 8, this view illustrating in detail the mechanism for automatically stopping the apparatus when an obstruction to the maximum interdigitation of the compression cups causes a slippage of one of the cup reciprocating shafts of the invention in the clamp which secures it to the cup reciprocating cross head.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the apparatus of my invention i there shown as embodied in a juice extractor having a frame 26 on which is fixed a cup bed casting 21, the latter supporting a power head 28.

The frame 26 has channel iron feet 30 which are united by spacer tubes 3! and 32 welded thereto. Welded to and extending upwardly from the feet are rear posts 33, to which opposite ends 'of a horizontal spacer tube 34 are welded, and

tubular posts 35 and 36 which are connected at their upper ends by angle iron members 3'! welded thereto and to the posts 33. Diagonal braces 38 are also welded at their opposite ends to the feet 35 and members 31. Transverse diagonal braces 39 have their opposite ends welded to frame members 32 and 35, and transverse braces 46 have their opposite ends welded to members 33 and 34 to give transverse rigidity to the frame 26.

Mounted on the horizontal spacer tube 34, and extending upwardly therefrom, is a feed trough support having two posts at its opposite edges on the upper ends of which are supported a pair of bearings 4'5 in which a vibrator shaft 48 journals. This shaft has an eccentric 49 formed centrally thereon and a drive pulley 50 which is connected by a belt 5| to the drive pulley of a motor 52 mounted on the support 45.

Welded on the spacer tube 32, and extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom, are a pair of lugs 55 on which are pivoted the lower ends of arms 55 of a pulp-deflecting apron 51. This mounting ermits the apron 5! to be optionally disposed in the position in which it is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or to be swung rearwardly about its pivotal mounting into an out-of-the-way position as shown in Fig. 17.

The bed casting 27 has legs which extend downwardly and outwardly at their lower ends to provide supporting shoulders Bl which rest upon the upper faces of angle iron members 37, and are secured thereto by bolts 62. The shoulders (ii are provided with vertical bearings 63 (Fig. 1). The legs 55 are provided at their upper ends with attaching shoulders 64.

The casting 21 also includes a cup bed 65 which extends horizontally between and is integral at its opposite ends with the legs 60.

Provided in the bed 55 is a series of three cutter supporting necks 66, each of which has a downwardly opening and flaring juice passage Bl, said passage terminating at its lower end in a lip 68 which is surrounded by a shoulder 69.

Each of the necks 66 terminates upwardly in a horizontal face 75, and the upper end of the passage 5'5 is bored and counterbored cylindrically to provide an annular internal shoulder ll.

Pressed upwardly through said shoulder, and having a complementary annular external shoulder engaging therewith, is a thin-walled tubular button cutter '52. This cutter is ground down from the outside to form a sharp annular cutting edge 13 at its upper end. The lower end of the cutter 12 has'an internal annular recess 14, the lower edge of which is beveled for a purpose which shall be made clear hereinafter.

Pressed downwardly about the cutter 12, until it rests upon the upper horizontal surface 70 of the neck 66, is an annulus carrying a series of barbs 16 (preferably four in number), the latter extending radially from the annulus 15 and having horizontal lower surfaces and downwardly sloping faces which form cutting edges where these faces meet (Figs. 10 and 11).

Also provided by the cup bed 55 are a pair of pedestals Tl which are disposed between the middle neck 65 and those disposed laterally therefrom, and a pair of pedestals 78 which are disposed just inside ofthe legs 6c of the casting 27;

6 these pedestals lying in the common vertical axial plane of the necks 68, and terminating at their upper ends in horizontal surfaces lying in the same plane as the upper horizontal surfaces of said necks. V

The casting 65 also has front and rear pedestals "I6 and 8d, a pair of which lies inthe fore and aft axial plane of each of the necks 66 and terminates at their upper ends in surfaces lying in said horizontal plane. The posts 19 and 83 ar drilled and tapped to receive stud bolts 3 I.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 10 the cup bed 65 has surfaces 62 which slope outwardly and down Wardly for shedding shredded rind deposited thereon as will be made clear hereinafter.

Resting on the upper horizontal faces of the pedestals 11, 18, 19 and 89, and secured in place by the bolts 8|, are lower fruit compression cups 86, each of which is thus mounted in rtica coaxial relation with one of the necks as. Each of these cups has an annular wall 81 from which a series of fingers or teeth 88 (preferably twentyfive in number), extend radially inwardly. These teeth are uniformly shaped and equally spaced circumferentially so that each adjacent pair of said teeth are separated by a slot which is slightly wider than the width of one of said teeth. The upper extremities of the teeth 88, where these project above the wall 81, are beveled as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the purpose of this being made evident hereinafter.

The teeth 83 terminate inwardly a short distance from the tubular cutter l2, and have lower beveled faces 99 which diverge downwardly relative to an adjacent outer beveled surface 9 which is formed partly on the annulus and partlyon an upper portion of the neck 66.

The front of the bed 65 extends downward to provide a central mounting for a manifold-supporting'latch es, this having a base 36 on which is pivoted a supporting yoke 91 and an operating arm 96, the latter being connectedto said yoke by a link 96. The purpose of the latch 35 will be made clear hereinafter.

Fixed on the rear faces of the legs e0 are angle brackets I35 carrying blocks of rubber 506 on which are supported the front ends of side walls I61 of a triple-channeled fruit chute I68 which is supported centrally by a bearing its in which the eccentric s3 journals so that rotation of the shaft 48 by the motor 52 vibrates the chute I68 to facilitate the feeding of fruit thereover.

' The chute I68 has three forwardly and downwardly sloping runways IIii which terminate forwardly at an open space I, the latter being bounded at its forward limit by a vertical wall N2, the opposite ends of which are supported on the side walls Hill, and from the upper edge of which three short elevated runways I It slope forwardly and downwardly, said runways lying in the same fore and aft vertical planes as the runways II Q, said planes also containing the axes of the respective necks 66 and lower compression cups 86 of the cup bed 65 described hereinabove.

Referring to Fig. 19, a switch I26 is mounted on one leg 60 of the casting21, said switch having a roller arm I2I, the roller of which is engaged by an arm I22 of a rocker I23, the latter beingpivotally mounted on said leg and having another arm I24 which extends inwardly through a hole provided in said leg for a purpose which will be made clear hereinafter.

The power head 26 rests upon the attaching shoulders 66 at the upper ends of the legs 60, and

6 is secured thereto by bolts I25. The power head has a base casting I26 including a bottomwall I21, afront wall I28, a rear Wall I29 and end walls I 3!) and I 3I. Provided in said end wall are main shaft bearings 432 and I33.

Casting I26 also provides bulkheads I34 which extend inwardly from the walls I28 and I29, and provide shoulders I35 on which are mounted main shaft bearings I36 and I31. Journalled in the bearings I32, i3 3, I36 and I31 is a main cam shaft I38.

The casting I26 has a rearward extension I39 on which is mounted a geared motor I46 which is connected by a chain and sprocket drive mech-'- anism IM to the shaft I38.

Fixed on the shaft i328, between the bearings I36 and the bearings I32 and I33, are finisher actuating cams I32. Fixed on the shaft'between the bearings I36 and Lil are upper cup actuating cams I63, the shapes and various operatin positions of these cams being clearly shown in Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive.

7 Extending upwardly from bearings I31 are rods I 34 which carry at their upper ends a sprin support I45. Just inside of and close to the end walls I30 and ISI, the casting I26 is provided with ledges I46 on each of which a standard I41 is fixed.

, Inserted at their lower ends into bores provided in the bottom wall I21 of the casting I26, and at their upper ends into short bores provided in the bearings I36, are slide shafts I48.

Just inside each of the walls I36 and I3I the bottom wall I21 of the casting l26 has a slide bearing M9 and an oil shielding tube I50 which surrounds said bearing and extends upwardly coaxially therewith. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the middle portion of the bottom wall I21 is shaped at a higher level than the end portions thereof, and is provided with guide bearings I5I which are disposed in coaxial alignment with the juice necks 66 of the cup bed 65.

The powerhead 26 is connected to frame 26, at the point of juncture between frame members 33 and 31, by a pair of tubular braces I52.

Bearings I56, provided at the opposite ends of a crosshead I51, slidably receive the slide shafts I48, and have guide bearings I68 extending laterally therefrom. Freely rotatable on stub shafts I59, which are provided on the crosshead I51, are cam follower rollers 566 which are aligned with and kept constantly in contact with the cams M3 by springs I6I, the opposite ends of which are connected to the spring support M5 and to the lower flanges I62 of the crosshead I51. The crosshead I5! is provided with three vertical holes I63 (Fig. 20) in which cylindrical plunger shafts I66 are slidably received. The crosshead is also milled out to provide three recesses I65, each of which cuts through a hole 53 and connects with a hole I66 for receiving a clamp ring I61 having a threaded stem I68 which extends through the hole I66 to receive a nut I69. By tightening the nut I69 to a particular degree of tightness, the clamp ring I61 is caused to bind against the shaft I64 extending therethrcugh and hold this in a fixed position in its hole 63 against any end-thrust normally imposed upon said shaft, yet permitting said shaft to slip through said ring when an abnormal thrust is imposed thereon.

Journalled at its ends in suitable bearings provided on the crosshead I51 is an automatic kickout shaft I16 having three lugs I11 welded there to, each ofwhich is held restingagains't and overlying the upper end of one of said shafts I64 (Fig. 20) by a spring I'IB which is coiled around the shaft I'I6 with one end thereof hooked about an upper flange of the crosshead I51 and the other end thereof hooked about an arm I19 which is welded on the shaft I16 and normally extends horizontally therefrom.

In vertical alignment with the arm I19, and disposed just below this arm when the crosshead I51 is in its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 20, is a horizontal arm I89 which is provided on a shaft I8I, the latter journalling in a bearing I82 which is provided in the wall I29, said shaft having a disc fixed on the outer end thereof, said disc having a single notch in its periphery into which the roller I84 of a switch arm I35 of a kickout switch E66 is normally spring-pressed by the spring of said switch. The purpose of the mechanism just described will be made clear hereinafter in describing the operation of the juice extractor 25.

The shafts I64 extend downwardly through the guide bearings IEI and each of these has mounted upon its lower end an upper fruit compressing cup having a hub Hi from which radiate a series of fingers or teeth I92, which are equal in number to the teeth 89 of the cup 96 associated therewith, and which are separated by uniform slots slightly wider than said teeth, each cup I99 being fixed on its shaft I64 so that when said cup is shifted downwardly the teeth of this cup come into interdigitating relation with the teeth of the cup 66 immediately therebelow, which is in axial alignment therewith. The lower extremities of the teeth I92 are symmetrically beveled to assist in guiding said cups into interdigitating relation as they are brought together.

Each cup I99 is mounted on its shaft I64 in the following manner. The lower end of this shaft has a diametral hole I93 (Fig. 10) which is connected by an axial hole I94 with a larger axial hole I95 in the lower end of the shaft I64. Held against the upper end of the hole I95 by a spring I96, which is trapped in said hole by a split ring I97 in the mouth thereof, is a detent I98, a knob I99 of which is thus caused to extend through the hole I94 and into the hole I93.

The hub I9I of the cup I99 has an axial bore 299 for receiving the lower end of its shaft I64, the hub also having a diametral hole 29I which may be brought into alignment with the hole I93 when the shaft I64 touches the bottom of the bore 299.

For retaining a cup I99 properly assembled on its shaft I64, a pin 295 is provided, opposite end portions of which have a snug sliding fit within the hole 29! but a central portion 293 of which is of reduced diameter so as not to contact any portion of the hole I93 when the pin 295 is centralized as shown in Fig. 10. When the pin is thus positioned, an annular groove 299 provided in the middle thereof receives the detent knob I99 so as to hold the pin in place and place the spring I96 under a slight degree of compression; The spring I96 thus holds the pin 295 in place to secure the cup I99 on the shaft I64 yet permits a slight degree of rotation of the cup on the shaft whereby this cup may accommodate itself to its mating cup 86 and move smoothly into interdigitating relation therewith.

The hub I9I of the cup I99 is also provided with a shallow axial bore 2 III which is connected with the bore 299 by a knockout hole 2II. Inserted into the bore 2I9 with a press-fit is a plug 2l2 (Fig. 12) formed of two parts, a core 2I3, and a sleeve 2I4 which interfit so that the friction between the sleeve 2M and the bore 2H9 holds the core 2I3 in place. A portion of the core M3 is turned down to provide an annular channel 2I5 in said plug. The lower face 2I6 of the core 2I3 is slightly concave. Extending downwardly from the lower edge of the sleeve 2I4 is a series of circumferentially spaced spurs 2I'I, the purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter.

Adapted to be supported in place by the yoke 91 of latch 95 is a tubular juice manifold 229 which is generally cylindrical in shape and is provided with removable caps 22l (Fig. 19) at its opposite ends. The manifold 229 also has an outlet spout 222 from which juice collected therein flows. The manifold 229 also has a series of tubular mouths 223 (Fig. 10) which are adapted to fit over the lips 68 and against the shoulders 69 of the respective cutter supporting necks 66.

Formed downwardly from the manifold 22!], in axial alignment with each of the mouths 223, is a boss 224 which is machined from the inside and on the outside to provide a horizontal wall 225 having a central aperture 229. Inserted into said aperture, so as to bring a shoulder 22'I thereof into engagement with the upper face of the wall 225 and receive a nut 228 on its downwardly extending end, is the threaded mounting nipple 229 of a thin-walled finisher tube 239, which extends upwardly into the annular recess I4 formed in the lower end of the tubular cutter l2 associated therewith. The walls of the tube 239 from the upper end thereof down to a point a slight distance below the lower end of the juice passage 67, are provided with closely spaced small perforations 23 I.

The manifold 229 is held in its proper assembled relation with the cup bed 65 by swinging the handle 99 of the latch 95 inwardly into the position in which this is shown in Fig. 15, thereby lifting the yoke 91 to engage the central nipple 229 of the manifold 220 and press upwardly on this, the final inward movement of the operating arm 98 bringing this into engagement with the yoke 91 with the latter locked in manifold supporting position.

To disassemble the manifold 229 from the lower cup bed 65, the arm 98 (Fig. 17) is merely swung outwardly and upwardly thus permitting the yoke 9! to swing downwardly and outwardly (Fig. 18) whereby the manifold 229 may be readily lowered from its assembled relation with the cup bed 65 and, if desired, removed separately from the machine.

In the balance of the description of the machine, it will be assumed that the manifold 229 is assembled with the cup bed 65 as shown in Figs. 10 and 17.

Pivotally supporting cam follower rollers 235 in contact with the upper surfaces of the cams I42 is a pair of bifurcated arms 236 which are pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the upper ends of the standards I41. Extending between each roller 235 and the forked ends of its arm 236, and pivoted on the same axis relative to said arm 236, is a pair of links 231, lower ends of which are pivotally connected to the flattened upper end of one of a pair of shafts 238, these shafts sliding in bearings I59 and connecting at their lower ends with couplings 239 which are slightly larger in diameter than said shafts and slide in bearings I49.

The upper ends of links 23'! extend forwardly and the upper ends of contractile springs 249 connect thereto, the lower ends of said springs I) being attached to suitable pins provided on the casting I26. Thus two springs 240 are constantly pulling downward on each of the rollers 235 and holding this roller in contact with its respective cam I42.

Connecting with the lower ends of the couplings 239 are shafts 245 which are guided by the slide bearings 63 and extend downwardly therebelow to a level close to the feet 6!! of the frame 26.

Provided on the shafts 245, below the bearings 63, are stop collars 246. Apertured to receive the lower ends of the shafts 2 35 and held in place thereon by nuts 241 (Fig. 2) are bearings 248 in which opposite ends of a cross shaft 249 journal. This shaft has a handle 25!! and constitutes the operating shaft of a mechanism 255 for elevating and supporting snugly against the stop collars 246 a cross-beam 252 on opposite ends of which are provided bearings 253 which slidably receive shafts 245.

Included in the mechanism 25! is a pair of arms 254 which are fixed on opposite ends of the shaft 249 and the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to links 255, upper ends of which are pivoted to the beam 252. Stop lugs 256 are provided on the arms 254 which halt relative rotation of the arms 254 and links 255 when the latter have reached an extended, over-dead-center relation in which they hold the beam 252 upwardly snugly against the collars 246.

The beam 252 is provided with a series of vertical holes 260 which are in axial alignment with the three juice compression units of the machine 25, and have mounted therein tubular finisher plungers 26! which are held in place by clamps 262 fixed thereon just above the beam 252, and nuts 263 which are threadedly received on the lower ends of said plungers. When the machine 25 is assembled, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 10, plungers 26! extend upwardly into the finisher tubes 230 with a close sliding fit therewith. Each plunger 26! has an axial bore 264, the upper end of which is taper-reamed to form a tapered mouth 265 which terminates at the upper end of the plunger 26! in a sharp annular cutting edge 266.

Clamped on the shafts 245 a short distance'below their juncture With coupling 239 are shuffle feeder supporting arms 210 to each of which is connected one of two inverted U-shaped side walls 211 of a shufiie feeder 212, each of the side walls 21% extending inwardly-across and downwardly-inside-of the adjacent side wall !01 of the multiple runway fruit chute I08. The shufiie feeder 212 has three fruit runways 213 which are disposed respectively in alignment with the runways !!6 and H3 of the multiple chute I08.

The shuflie feeder 212 has a rear vertical wall 214 which, when the feeder is in up position, blocks the downward gravitation of fruit from the runways I I6.

The powerhead 28 is preferably provided with a sheet metal cover 215 (Fig. 3).

Operation Switches I20 and I66 are normally closed and are in the holding circuit of the motor switch controlling the motor I66 so that when either of these switches is actuated, in a manner to be pointed out hereinafter, this circuit is broken causing the motor switch to throw-out and the machine to stop.

With the motor I46 energized, the shaft I38 is rotated preferably :ata rate of about 30 R. P. M.,

although this is variable depending upon the character of the fruit being handled. With each revolution of shaft I38, the cams I43 act on the crosshead I51 through the rollers I66 to recipro cate the crosshead downwardly and upwardly be tween its uppermost position, in which it is shown in Fig. 2, and, its downwardmost position, in which it is shown in Figs. 8 and 20. This reciprocates the cups I from their upper most positions, in which they are shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and their lowermost positions in which they are shown in Figs. 8 and 15. Each revolution of the shaft I36 also produces a complex vertical movement of the plungers 26!. Starting with these positioned as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, this movement begins with a downward movement to the position in which these plungers are shown in Figs. 5. and 10, followed by these plungers being elevated to the positions in which they are shown in Figs. 9 and 15, after which they are returned downwardly to their starting position, as shown in Fig. 4.

A whole citrus fruit, such as an orange, grapefruit, lemon or tangerine, is fed into the lower cup 86 of each of the three compression units of the machine while the upper cups I90 are spaced upwardly from the lower cups 86, this feeding being accomplished by the vertical reciprocation of the shufile feeder 212 with the shafts 245 on which said feeder is mounted. This feeding is accomplished by each trough 213' of the shuflle feeder 2.12 receiving a piece of fruit when the feeder moves downwardly as shown in Fig. 5, this piece of fruit being elevated as the feeder rises so as to gravitate from the feeder troughs 216 into the elevated stationary troughs I I3 from each of which a piece of whole fruit then rolls directly into the lower compression cup 86 aligned therewith.

In Fig. 9, the feeder is shown as elevated with the pieces of fruit, rolling therefrom onto the elevated stationary troughs H3, while the upper cups I90 are just starting to rise. This is so that as soon as the upper cups have risen a suflicient distance to permit the fruit to pass therebeneath, the fruit will be moving downwardly so as to be deposited in the lower cups by the time the upper cups I90 start downwardly.

Fig. 4 illustrates the beginning of an operating cycle and shows the relation then existing between the parts of a single compression unit, and the operative elements of the powerhead, and with a whole citrus fruit F already fed into the lower cup of said unit.

Fig. 5, and its enlarged counterpart, Fig. 1'0, illustrate the point of time in said cycle at which the upper cup I90 has descended to the point where it has centralized the whole fruit F between the two cups, brought the fruit into substantial conformation with the inner surfaces of the two cups, and applied suflicient pressure. to the fruit to cause the cutter 12 to penetrate the rind of the fruit and cut a button B therefrom. At this time it will be noted that the plunger 26! has withdrawn downwardly to provide a substantial free space in the upper perforated portion of the finisher tube 230.

The conformation of the fruit F to the cups 86 and I90 also impales the rind of the fruit on the spurs 2I1, the purpose of this being to prevent the wrinkling of the rind in the central area, surrounded by said spurs as a result of the subsequent constriction of the fruit between the cups.

It is to be noted that at the point of time 1 l illustrated in Fig. 10, the axial bore 264 and its flaring mouth 265 are filled with pulp P, while the upper end of said mouth contains a button B1 which is the pulp and the final button cut from a previously compressed whole citrus fruit.

Immediately following the point of time illustrated in Fig. 10, the cup I98 continues downwardly to force the pulpy juice-bearing internal structure of the fruit F downwardly through the cutter I2 into the finisher tube 230, as shown in Fig. 13. This forces the rind button B downwardly against the rind button B1, and forces the juice from this pulpy structure outwardly through the holes 23I formed in the finisher tube 230. This juice flows downwardly into the manifold 22D and is discharged from the spout 222 thereof into a pipeline connected therewith or into a suitable container positioned to receive the same.

Immediately following the point of time illustrated in Figs. 6 and 13, the cams I 43 lift the finishing plungers 25! upwardly to compress the pulp from the fruit F in the finisher tube 230, this compression reaching a point, before the upper end of the plunger has covered all of the holes 23I in the finishing tub-e 233, where a relatively high percentage of the juice of the fruit F has been soueezed from the pulp and has escaped outwardly through the holes 231 into the juice passage 61.

This point of time in the pressing cycle is illlustrated by Figs. 7 and 14. Fig. 14, owing to its enlarged scale, illustrates the shredding of the rind of fruit F which has already started to take place due to the high degree of pressure to which the fruit is subjected by the two cups, and to the presence of slots between adjacent fingers of the two cups into which ribbons of the rind are sheared by the shearing relation of adjacent fingers of the two cups as the interdigitating relation between these progresses.

Figs. 8 and 15 illustrate the point in the cycle of operation where the interdigitation between the two cups has reached its maximum, and that portion of the rind and other solid constituents of the fruit which has not been forced by the upper cup downwardly into the cutter I2, is extruded out through the slots between the fingers of the two cups and through the annular space between the cutter I2 and the inner tips of the teeth 88 of the lower cup 86.

The rind and pulpy matter thus extruded through the slots in the cups, falls downwardly on the sloping surfaces 82 of the cup bed 55 and is shed outwardly therefrom before enough of this can accumulate to choke up the space immediately around the necks 66 and beneath the lower compression cups 88. The apron 51 is positioned to receive this extruded matter which gravitates downwardly therefrom onto a conveyor belt (not shown) leading to a bin for collecting the extruded matter or to a plant for processing this to convert it into cattle food or some other useful by-product.

Any tendency of a portion of the rind or other solid matter of the fruit which is forced downwardly through the space between the cutter I2 and the inner tips of the lower cup teeth 88 to retain continuous endless form so as to extend entirely around the neck 65 and thus build up a layer thereon which would necessitate frequent cleaning, is obviated by the provision of the cutting barbs 16 which extend out into this space and divide up the pulpy matter extruded downwardly through said space into four sections V 22 so that it will readily fall away from the neck 66 and be carried downwardly by gravity with the successive accretions of pulpy material extruded downwardly in subsequent fruit compression cycles. a

The final downward movement of the upper cup I presses the portion of the rind of the fruit F which is encompassed within the spurs 2I'I downwardly through the level of the cutting edge 13 of the cutter 12 so that said edge extends into the annular channel 2I5 of the upper cup I90. This causes said cutter to cut a rind button B2 from said fruit F, and the core 2I3 of the upper cup pushes this button downward Well within the upper portion of said cutter.

Figs. 10, 13, 14, and 15 clearly illustrate the progressive travel inward toward the common axis of the two cups 8B and I98 of the radially innermost points of interdigitation between the teeth 88 and I92 of said cups. This radial inward travel of said innermost points of interdigitation of the fruit engaging edges of said teeth accomplishes the constriction of the whole fruit F placed between said cups and terminates with a substantially maximum degree of interdigitation between the teeth of said cups as shown in Fig. 15. In this view, it is manifest that the space which had accommodated a whole fruit between said cups when the latter were starting their interdigitation (Fig, 11) has now been reduced. practically to the vanishing point. This degree of constriction is made possible by locating the radially innermost extremities of the teeth of both of said cups at substantially the same radius from the common axis of said cups, and then shaping the slots between the teeth of each of said cups to provide space for unimpeded movement thereinto of the teeth of the other cup to allow the innermost points of the interdigitation between the teeth of said cups to progress radially inwardly substantially to the innermost extremities of said teeth of said cups.

While the point of maximum interdigitation between the cups, illustrated in Fig. 15, does not show the space confined by the fruit contacting edges of the teeth of the two cups reduced to zero, this space has been reduced to such a small fraction of its original volume that it may be said that it has been substantially reduced to zero. It is to be noted, however, that the construction of the two cups is such as to permit their coaxial approach to each other to be carried to a further point than illustrated in Fig. 15 and in which the aforementioned space would literally be reduced to zero.

Following the point of time illustrated in Fig. 15, the upper cup I90 starts to return to its upwardmost position but the finisher plunger 26! continues to rise and overtakes the upper cup so that the upper cutting edge 265 of this plunger is extended upwardly into the annular channel 2I5 of the said cup so that the core 213 thereof extends into the upper end of the mouth 265 of said plunger and presses the rind button B2 well down into said mouth as shown in Fig. 16. From the point at which the cams I42 and I43 are positioned in Fig. 9, the compression cycle is concluded by the upper cup I90 moving upwardly to its starting position and the finisher plunger 26I moving down to its starting position, as shown in Fig. 4.

By virtue of the extrusion of all that portion of the rind and solid materials in the fruit F through the open spaces in the two cups 86 and I90, excepting the pulp and rind buttons which are necessarily forced downwardly through the plunger 26!, the space between the pressure cups is free of obstruction by a rind carcass which used to remain between the compression cups and had to be removed by hand or by a separate stripping mechanism in the apparatus in the aforesaid Peterson and Pipkin patents. Thus no carcass-stripping operation is required in my invention, and such an operation is entirely dispensed with therein.

At the conclusion of each compression cycle when the upper cup I90 return-s to its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 4, a fresh whole fruit F is fed into the lower cup, and the compression cycle just completed is followed by another just like it without any portion of the solid matter of the fruit previously compressed remaining to interfere with the second cycle.

Another great advantage of my invention is to be found in the screening or finishing of the juice extracted from the fruit by compressing the pulp above the plunger 26I so as to force the juice in this pulp outwardly through the holes 23l formed in the finishing tube 230, and thus separating from the juice all of the pulpy material extracted with the juice from the fruit. Thus the pulpy material all is discharged downwardly from the lower ends of the finishing plungers ZGI onto the apron 51 from which it gravitates onto a conveyor belt which carries the pulp to a bin provided to receive this.

The juice, on the other hand, flows from the manifold 220 through the manifold spout 222 in a finished condition and ready for bottling, canning or immediate consumption.

Another advantage of the apparatus of my invention herein disclosed is the facility with which the parts exposed to rind oil and juice may be steam cleaned at the end of a day's run so that the metal will not tarnish or become gummedup with the components of the fruit passed through the machine.

To facilitate such a cleaning operation, the apron 51 is swung backwardly out of the way, as shown in Fig. 17, and the arm 25!] is pulled outwardly rocking the shaft 249 and thus releasing the latch mechanism 251 and causing this to collapse, permitting the crossbeam 252 and the finishing plungers 26l carried thereon to drop downwardly as shown in this View. Steam can then be applied to the. plu'ngers 26! to clean these both inside and out.

The end covers 22! may then be removed from the manifold 22!], and this cleaned out by steam as far as possible while still supported in its assembled position as shown in Fig. 17. It is optional, however, to remove the manifold 220 and separately clean this after which it may be slidably assembled downwardly on the Dlungers 261, as shown in Fig. 18. To reassemble the cleaned machine, the latch mechanism 25! can be extended to elevate the crossbeam 252 against. the stop collars 246 following which the manifold 228 may be lifted into its assembledrelation with the cup bed 65, and the manifold-supporting latch 95 swung into the position. shown in Fig. 3, to support said manifold. The apron is now swung forwardly and the juice extractor 25 is completely reassembled after the cleaning opertion in readiness for starting a new run.

The vibration of the multiple fruit feed run ways SBB by the power-driven eccentric '49 keeps the fruit moving along the runwaysv l and-H 3,

14 and-this assures uniform feeding of the fruit to the cups 86.

It is to be noted also that the finishing of the juice depends upon a restricted pulp passage being provided axially in the plungers 26!. The size of this may be varied as by caps with orifices varying in diameter which are screwed onto the lower ends of the plungers 26!. The degree of restriction must be such as to provide compression of the pulp in the finishing tube sufficient to extract most of the juice therefrom, yet large enough to permit the pulp and rind but:- tons to pass therethrough without creating too much back pressure.

The cutout switch I20 operates to safeguard the operation of the juicer 25 by halting the m0- tor- Hit, if it is running, or making it impossible to start said motor if it is not running, whenever the manifold 220 is released from its upward assembled relation with the cup bed 65 in which it is shown in Fig. 19. Fig. 18 shows the manifold 220 when it is released from the assembled position and allowed to ride down with the crossbeam 252, upon the relaxing of the supporting latch 25 I, thereby opening said switch.

The switch I86 is provided to likewise render the motor I40 inoperative whenever one of the shafts I64 meets with such a resistance on its downward movement as to cause this shaft to slide upwardly through its clamp ring I61. The most likely cause of this is where solid objects, such as metal tools, fittings and the like, accidentally gain access to the machine and, are fed in between a pair of the compression cups 86 and I98. Where such a resistance is set up to the downward movement of one of the shafts [64, this slides upwardly in its clamp ring l6! and rotates the shaft l 16 through the lug lTi provided thereon and normally overlying that shaft I64 (Fig. '20). This rotation of the shaft I16 depresses the finger I'IS to cause this to engage the finger I80, and rotate the shaft l8! and the notched disc I83 fixed on the outer end thereof. This swings the arm I85 and opens the switch 1'86 thereby stopping the machine.

liclaim-z 1. A method of extracting juice from a fresh whole citrus fruit which comprises the steps of forming an opening in the rind of the fruit for the escape of juice therefrom, applying compressive forces to the exterior of the fruit to progressively reduce its volume and expel the juice of said fruit from said opening, distributing said compressive forces to simultaneously bear at closely spaced points on substantially the entire area of the rind excepting the area of said opening whereby the forces also serve to provide sufficient support to the rind to prevent the juice from bursting therethrough, developing a diffused pattern of relatively narrow spaces at said find area in which said compressive forces are not applied to said rind, and continuing the apcups being shaped to conformably contact'substantially the entire outer surface of the Whole fruit upon initial interdigitation of said teeth, at least one of said cups having an axial passage communicating with the interior thereof through which juice may escape from the fruit as such interdigitation proceeds, the slots between the teeth being formed to permit progressive interdigitation of said teeth to express the juice from the fruit through said passage Without the fruit bursting between the teeth, the inner extremities of the teeth and slots of said two cups lying substantiall the same radial distance from the common axis of said cups, said slots of each cup providing for unimpeded movement thereinto of the teeth of the other cup to a point of interdigitation, in which the slots extend substantially to the innermost extremities of said teeth of said cups whereby the portions of the rind of said fruit excepting that which overlies said passage are substantially entirely extruded through said narrow slots, and the portions of said rind overlying said passage are forced into said passage.

3. A combination as in claim 2 in which a tubular cutter is provided in said cup having said passage, said cutter defining said passage and extending into said cup to cut a button from the rind of said fruit when the latter is initially compressed between said cups, there being a channel provided in said other cup which conforms to and receives the edge of said cutter when said cups are at the maximum point of their interdigitation to cut a second button from the rind of said fruit and press said second button through said cutter into said passage.

4. A combination as in claim 3 in which a finisher tube having substantially the same inside diameter and shape as said cutter tub constitutes an extension of the latter, said finisher tube being perforated; and a finisher plunger having a hole formed longitudinally therein and slidably disposed in said finisher and cutter tubes; and means to reciprocate said finisher plunger in timed relation with the relative movement between said cups to extend said plunger from said cutter tube and into said channel to press the pulp received by said cutter from said fruit into the longitudinal hole provided in said finisher plunger.

5. A combination as in claim 4 in which said finisher plunger has a sharp inner edge, which operates close to the inner surfaces of said tubes, a restricted throat being provided in said longitudinal plunger hole which restricts the passage of pulp through said hole thereby building up pressure which, when applied to said pulp, expresses juice from said pulp causing it to flow through said perforations in said finisher tube before the latter are shut off by said finisher plunger moving into closing relation with these.

6. A combination as in claim 2 in which said passage is disposed axially of the cups and has a tubular cutter defining said passage and extending into the cup having said passage, there being a free annular gap surrounding said tubular cutter at and below the lowermost extremity of the bowl cavity of the latter cup, said annular gap entirely separating said teeth and said tubular cutter and connecting the space within the lowermost portion of said bowl cavity with a free space below said teeth for receiving extruded rind.

'7. A combination as in claim 2 in which said passage is disposed axially in one of said cups i6 and'has a tubular cutter defining said passage and extending into said cup, there being a free annular gap surrounding said tubular cutter at and below the lowermost extremity of the bowl cavity of said cup, said annular gap entirely separating said teeth and said tubular cutter and connecting the lowermost portion of the interior of said bowl cavity with a free space located below said teeth for receiving extruded rind, and a rind ring cutting barb extending radially into said free annular gap for radially severing a ring of rind extruded downwardly through said annular gap.

8. A combination as in claim 2 in which the cup having said passage is provided with a tubular cutter which defines said passage and extends into said cup, there being an annular channel formed in said other cup which is adapted to receive said cutter when the maximum interdigita tion of said cups is reached; and spur provided on the cup having said channel and disposed outwardly therefrom, said spurs extending into said cup to penetrat the rind of said fruit when the latter is first brought into conformation with said bowl cavities so that the buckling of said rind produced by the radical constriction thereof accompanying the subsequent interdigitation of said cups may not be transmitted to that portion of said rind within the area surrounded by said channel, said spurs thereby facilitating the cutting of a second button from an undistorted portion of said rind surrounded by said spurs.

9. A combination as in claim 2 in which the cup having said passage includes a central portion providing said passage, and an annular tooth mount on which the teeth of said cup are supported by their outer edges, said teeth extending radiall inwardly from said mount and being completely separated from said central cup portion to provide an annular gap between the inner extremities of said teeth and said central cup portion which connects the space within the bowl cavity of said cup with a free space located beneath said teeth for receiving rind extruded downwardly from said bowl cavity between said teeth and through said gap.

10. In a device for extracting juice from whole citrus fruit, the combination of a pair of opposed cups having hemispheroidal bowl cavities, the side walls of each cup comprising a multiplicity of elongated narrow teeth separated by correspondingly narrow slots, the teeth of each cup being aligned with the slots of the other cup for interdigitation and the bowl cavities of said cups being shaped to conformably contact substantially the entire outer surface of the whole fruit upon initial interdigitation of said teeth, a tubular cutter being provided on one of said cups and extending thereinto to form a hole in the rind of said fruit when the latter is compressed between said cups, whereby subsequent progressive interdigitation of said teeth expresses the juice from the fruit through a juice passage formed by said cutter without the fruit bursting between said teeth; a perforated fiinishing tube disposed close to and connecting directly with said cutter outside of said cup to receive pulp and juice expressed from said fruit into said juice passage; means forming a closed juice receiving chamber surrounding the perforated portion of said tube; a plunger reciprocably mounted in said finishing tube; and means for reciprocating said plunger in timed relation with the relative movement between said cups whereby said plunger is moved in said tube toward said cutter during the final portion of a fruit compressing operation to compress the pulp which had been delivered from said fruit into said finishing tube whereby the juice in said pulp is expressed therefrom and discharged outwardly through the perforations in said finishing tube, into said juice receiving chamber.

11. A combination as in claim in which said plunger is provided with a restricted hole extending longitudinally through said plunger, said pulp being forced through said hole as a result of its being compressed between said plunger and the other of said cups by the reciprocation of said plunger in said finishing tube.

12. A combination as in claim 11 in which said hole is tapered and said means for reciprocating said plunger in said finishing tube withdraws said plunger a substantial distance within said tube from said cutter at the conclusion of a fruit compressing cycle while said cups are being separated to receive a whole fruit for a subsequent cycle, said plunger reciprocating means then delaying the pulp compressing movement of said plunger until a substantial portion of the pulp and juice of the piece of fruit thus received between said cups has been expressed therefrom in said subsequent cycle and discharged through said cutter and into the vacant space in said finishing tube between said cutter and said plunger.

13. A combination as in claim 12 in which said plunger terminates in a sharp edge which surrounds the restricted hole therein and in which the interdigitation of said cups proceeds to a point where a portion of the rind originally disposed diametrically opposite the portion in which said hole was formed by said cutter, is impaled upon said cutter to cut a button therefrom, and in which said plunger reciprocating means extends said plunger to a point where said button is forced by the other of said cups into the opening in said plunger, whereby, when said plunger is subsequently retracted through said finishing tube as aforesaid towards the end of the fruit compressing cycle, said button is carried with said plunger.

14. In a device for extracting juice from whole citrus fruit, the combination of a pair of opposed cups having hemispheroidal bowl cavities, the side walls of each cup comprising a multiplicity of elongated narrow teeth separated by correspondingly narrow slots, the teeth of each cup being aligned with the slots of the other cup for interdigitation and the bowl cavities of said cup being shaped to conformably contact substantially the entire outer surface of the whole fruit upon initial interdigitation of said teeth, a tubular cutter being provided on one of said cups and extendin thereinto to form a hole in the rind of said fruit when the latter is compressed between said cups, whereby subsequent progressive interdigitation of said teeth expresses the juice from the fruit through a juice passage defined by said cutter without the fruit bursting between said teeth, a tube having substantially the same inside diameter as said cutter and connected coaxially therewith, a plunger reciprocably mounted in said tube, said plunger being tubular and having a thin upper edge, the interdigitation of said cups extending to a point where a portion of the rind of said fruit originally disposed diametrically opposite the portion from which said hole was cut is impaled on said cutter to cut a button from said rind; and means for reciprocating said plunger in said tube in timed relation with the relative movement between said cups whereby said plunger is moved in said tube towards said cutter during the final portion of a fruit compressing operation to force through said tubular plunger pulp previously expelled from said fruit through said cutter and into said tube, said plunger continuing said movement into proximity with said other cup whereby the latter forces said button into the upper end of said plunger, causing said button to be carried with said plunger as the latter is retracted by said reciprocating means to its starting position at the close of a fruit compressing cycle.

15. A combination as in claim 14 in which said other cup is provided with spurs which extend into the bowl thereof whereby said spurs penetrate the rind of a fruit at the start of a fruit compressing cycle, said spurs surrounding the portion of said rind from which said button is cut to prevent the buckling of said portion by the constriction of said fruit by said cups whereby the button cut from said portion and delivered into said tubular plunger will remain in said plunger when the latter is retracted as aforesaid.

16. A method of extracting juice from a fresh, whole substantially spherica1 citrus fruit which comprises the steps of confining said fruit in a space closely conforming thereto, cutting a button from the rind of said fruit concentric with a given compression axis extending through the center of said fruit to form a hole in said rind concentric with said axis, decreasing the space within which said fruit is confined by the application of compressive forces to opposite substantially spherical portions thereof, developing a diffused pattern of relatively narrow spaces, outside the space defined by the axial projection of the area of said hole, against which said compressive forces are not applied, said narrow spaces being of insuflicient width to permit the outward bursting of said rind through said spaces during the juice expelling constriction of said fruit resulting from said compression whereby the juice and pulp within said fruit are expelled through said hole by said compression, and continuing said compression to the point where those portions of the rind disposed outside the axial projection of the area of said hole are extruded through said narrow spaces.

1'7. A method as defined in claim 16 which includes the step of cutting a second button, which is of substantially the same size as and concentric with the aforesaid button, from a portion of the rind originally disposed diametrically opposite that portion from which said first button was cut, and forcing said second button through the area of the hole formed by cutting said first button as the compression of said fruit is concluded with the results aforesaid.

JAMES M. HAIT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 599,856 Middlekauff Mar. 1, 1898 1,840,182 Bailey Jan. 5, 1932 1,925,196 Maull Sept. 5, 1933 1,938,463 Roberts Dec. 5, 1933 1,960,501 Maull May 29, 1934 2,345,731 Coyle Apr. 4, 1944 2,346,561 Delay Apr. 11, 1944 2,420,679 Pipkin May 20, 1947 2,420,681 Peterson May 20, 1947 2,475,559 Wilson July 5, 1949 2,534,554 Kahre Dec. 19, 1950 

